Compact Biometric Authentication Device and Associated Methodology of Imaging and Detecting Living-Tissue Patterns

1. A blood vessel authentication apparatus, comprising: a light emitting section configured to emit source light in a predetermined direction from a first position opposite a part of a person, said part having an epidermal layer and a deep layer beneath said epidermal layer, said deep layer having blood vessels that carry blood; an imaging section including an aperture configured to detect scattered light, the scattered light being a portion of said source light that has penetrated the epidermal layer and is scattered by tissue below the epidermal layer at a predetermined depth within said deep layer, the scattered light being reflected by the deep layer back to the imaging section, said tissue in said deep layer scattering light such that less light is detected in regions corresponding to the blood vessels than other regions without the blood vessels, said imaging section being located at a second position opposite the part of the person and on a same opposing side as the light emitting section; a shield disposed proximate to the imaging section, the shield including an outer surface having a first end and a second end, the first end of the outer surface surrounding and extending directly from the aperture of the imaging section to the second end of the outer surface, the second end of the outer surface having a perimeter edge portion that directly contacts a skin surface of the part of the person such that a direction from which the scattered light reflects back to the imaging section is limited to a direction directly underneath the aperture; and an authentication section configured to authenticate an identity of a person associated with the part based on a comparison of the scattered light detected by said imaging section and blood vessel information previously stored.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the part of a person is a finger.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging section detects the scattered light arriving from a different direction than said predetermined direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blood vessel information comprises blood vessel position information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blood vessel information comprises blood vessel pattern information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a storage device configured to store said blood vessel information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an interface for connecting via a network to a storage device that holds said blood vessel information.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said source light is a near-infrared light.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said imaging section is positioned opposite of said target portion of said part.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting section emits polarized light.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging section includes a polarizing filter.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter edge portion of the second end of the shield is formed at an angle with respect to the first end of the shield and extends substantially parallel with the skin surface of the part of the person.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said light emitting section includes a reflecting section.

14. A blood vessel authentication method, comprising: storing blood vessel information; emitting source light from a first position opposite a part of a person; reflecting said source light in a predetermined direction toward the part of the person, said part having an epidermal layer and a deep layer beneath said epidermal layer, said deep layer having blood vessels that carry blood; detecting scattered light using light detecting hardware including an aperture, the scattered light being a portion of said source light that has penetrated the epidermal layer and is scattered by tissue below the epidermal layer at a predetermined depth within said deep layer, the scattered light being reflected by the deep layer back to the light detecting hardware, said tissue in said deep layer scattering light such that less light is detected in regions corresponding to the blood vessels than other regions without the blood vessels, said detecting being performed at a second position opposite the part of the person and on a same opposing side as the emitting source light; shielding the light detecting hardware with a shield including an outer surface having a first end and a second end, the first end of the outer surface surrounding and extending directly from the aperture of the light detecting hardware to the second end of the outer surface, the second end of the outer surface having a perimeter edge portion that directly contacts a skin surface of the part of the person such that a direction from which the scattered light reflects back to the light detecting hardware is limited to a direction directly underneath the aperture; and authenticating an identity of a person associated with the part, including comparing a detection result of said detecting step with said blood vessel information.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the part of a person is a finger.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the detecting detects less light in regions corresponding to the blood vessels than other regions without the blood vessels.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the detecting detects the scattered light arriving from a different direction than said predetermined direction.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the blood vessel information stored in said storing comprises blood vessel position information.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the blood vessel information comprises blood vessel pattern information.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein said storing includes storing the blood vessel information in a same apparatus that performs said detecting step.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein said storing includes storing said blood vessel information in a storage device; and wherein said authenticating includes retrieving over a network said blood vessel information from the storage device.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein said emitting source light comprises emitting near-infrared light.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein the source light is polarized light.

24. The method of claim 14 , wherein the detecting of scattered light is conducted with a polarizing filter.

25. A blood vessel authentication apparatus, comprising: means for emitting source light in a predetermined direction from a first position opposite a part of a person, said part having an epidermal layer and a deep layer beneath said epidermal layer, said deep layer having blood vessels that carry blood; means for detecting scattered light including an aperture, the scattered light being a portion of said source light that has penetrated the epidermal layer and is scattered by tissue below the epidermal layer at a predetermined depth within said deep layer, the scattered light being reflected by the deep layer back to the means for detecting, said tissue in said deep layer scattering light such that less light is detected in regions corresponding to the blood vessels than other regions without the blood vessels, said imaging section being located at a second position opposite the part of the person and on a same opposing side as the means for emitting source light; means for shielding the means for detecting scattered light, the means for shielding including an outer surface having a first end and a second end, the first end of the outer surface surrounding and extending directly from the aperture of the means for detecting scattered light to the second end of the outer surface, the second end of the outer surface having a perimeter edge portion that directly contacts a skin surface of the part of the person such that a direction from which the scattered light reflects back to the means for detecting scattered light is limited to a direction directly underneath the aperture; and means for authenticating an identity of a person associated with the part based on a comparison of the scattered light detected by said means for detecting and blood vessel information previously stored.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein said means for emitting said source light includes means for reflecting said source light.